The present invention relates to a safety mechanism for firearms. More particularly, the invention relates to an electronic system for selectively disabling a firearm.
The use of various devices to increase firearm safety is well known in the art. These mechanisms generally fall into two categories.
Firearm safety mechanisms are generally used to prevent the weapon from firing accidentally due to falling or unintentional operation of the trigger. These mechanisms are generally mounted in the interior of the firearm and are deactivated when the firearm is to be fired. Safety mechanisms suffer from the drawback in that the mechanism can be operated by anyone, including unauthorized individuals or children. Furthermore, many safety mechanisms can be dislodged if the firearm is impacted with sufficient force, sometimes resulting in an unintended and unexpected discharge of the firearm.
The second category of firearm safety device is the gun lock. Gun locks are typically used when the gun is in storage or is being transported. Gun locks are key operated and are usually mounted exteriorly of the firearm. Gun locks suffer from the drawback in that they tend to be very model specific. Gun locks also tend to be very complex thereby resulting in a higher probability of mechanical failure with repeated use. Both gun locks and safety mechanisms suffer from the drawback that if they are exteriorly mounted, they have to be carried around separately resulting in an inconvenience to the user. Another drawback associated with prior devices is that foreign matter can enter the mechanism causing the mechanism to jam rendering the firearm inoperative.
The primary drawback to prior art devices is that they are primarily mechanical devices and can be overcome using relatively simple means. Gun locks requiring keys can be picked, gun locks with combinations require the user to remember the combination. Few of the prior art devices take advantage of recent technological developments, especially electronics, in order to increase firearm safety. One of the prior art devices does take advantage of high tech electronics. These devices include a means for scanning a user's hand, grip pattern, or thumb print, storing it in a memory, and then releasing a locking mechanism when a microprocessors matches the user's hand or thumb print to that stored in memory. While these devices are conceptually sound, they do suffer from drawbacks or inadequacies.
It can first be noted that, as a practical matter, the first generation devices, i.e., those conceived prior to 1988, could not have worked. The size of the processor would not have permitted storage of sufficient data to facilitate the concept. Also, the miniature scanner technology was not known at the time.
Some of the later devices also suffer from problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,179 discloses such a device. The device includes a scanner for scanning in fingerprints, and an associated mechanism for preventing operation of the hammer. First of all, the operation of the device is not clear, but appears to involve the use of a mechanism to physically block the hammer. This type of mechanism may work well with the power applied, but may fail when the power fails. No warning mechanism of any type is available to alert the user that power failure is imminent. Also, if the user applies sufficient force to overcome the locking mechanism, the gun will still fire. It will be apparent to the user that the locking mechanism causes hammer movement to be defeated, since the hammer will not cock. Thus the user will know exactly how to overcome the safety mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,819 discloses a firearm safety system which recognizes the grip pattern of a user, and deactivates a locking mechanism when a match is detected. The system suffers from the drawback in that grip patterns are not sufficiently unique and thus the firearm may be used by someone, other than the authorized user, who has a grip pattern simiilar to that of the authorized user. Also, as in the previous invention, the trigger cannot be actuated, thus making it apparent to the user that some type of locking mechanism is in place.